France TV Distribution, the commercial arm of the French public broadcaster France Télévisions, one of the most powerful TV companies in Europe, is kicking off international distribution on thriller series “La Vallée en Danger” (“Danger in the Valley”), co-written by bestselling French author Michel Bussi.
Produced by Paris-based Cinétévé in co-production with France TV and Belgium’s Be-Films, “Danger in the Valley” will be launched at the upcoming edition of MIP London, which runs Feb. 23-27.
A prolific but successful writer, Bussi wrote his first original script for a TV series in 2023, “Prison Island,” in which he collaborated with future “Danger in the Valley” co-scribe, Christian Clères.
“Prison Island” unspooled on a peaceful island that turns into a prison when a group of armed activists take hostage the whole population of the quaint, isolated place off the coast of Brittany hostage.
In “Danger in the Valley”, Bussi is re-teaming with Cléres for the six one-hour miniseries.
In co-production terms, “Prison Island” was the fruit of a Cinétévé-France 2 partnership, which they are replicating now with “Danger in the Valley,” where Belgium’s Be-Films teams as another co-producer.
The drama thriller toplines “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” actress Anne Charrier, Thierry Godard (“Spiral,” “A French Village, The Head”) and Anna Cervinka (“Grand Ciel”), with the last two thesps being also part of the prestigious Comédie Française.
Directed by Elsa Bennet, “Danger in the Valley” is set in the quiet village of Salvérac, nestling in the rugged Causses region, which faces the looming threat of a shale gas drilling project.
The village is deeply divided between the project’s financiers – billionaire engineer Charles Kaskia and the powerful consortium Seth – while others vehemently oppose it, led by defiant mayor Floriane Bourdieu (Charrier).
As Bourdieu fights to stop the project, she becomes the target of dark threats. In this high-stakes battle, the cost of resistance may be far greater than she ever expected.
Helped by engineer Pierre Donjon (Thierry Godard), Floriane will do everything to prevent this drilling by exposing herself to the worst threats from the industrialists.
Key cast also features Anna Cervinka as Jana Kaskia, Nicolas Gob (Rodolphe Durand), Théo Augier (Samuel Duval), Philippe Resimont (Max Desailly), John Robinson (Kay Lewis), Jane Cara (Kelly O’Brian), Laura Sepul (Prune Larcy) and Emma Lemoine (Camille Bourdieu).
France 2 will broadcast the series in France on a still to be disclosed date.